Snow Storm
by treblegnome
Summary: AU, Lady Stark learns Jon Snow's true heritage and tries to convince Rob to make Jon king.
1. Chapter 1

Catelyn Stark's hands were shaking. The message she held floated to the floor. Everything was spinning, either the world or her head, she wasn't sure which.

_I have sent my children, Meera and Jojen, to declare their loyalty to your son as King in the North. We are more than willing to continue our loyalty to house Stark. However, with Eddard gone, it is possible that you are not aware that a better claim to the throne exists within your walls._

_I was with Ned when we found Lyanna in the Tower of Joy all those years ago. He made me swear secrecy to all that happened there. I would not betray his trust for my own sake, but the fate of Westeros may hinge on decisions made in these coming days. When we found Lyanna she had just given birth to a child, the child of Rhaegar. Ned could not save her, she had lost too much blood. She made him promise to care for her child and not allow Robert to kill him. That child grew to be Jon Snow._

_Rhaegar was well loved by many and it is possible that Jon Snow, as an heir to the iron throne, might rally more support than Robb. It makes no difference to me if Robb or Jon is King. I only wish to see the war ended as soon as have the loyalty of House Reed in any case._

It was as if everything was falling into place. Ned had never called Jon his son. Not once in all these years. Jon was his blood, Jon was a Stark, but never had he been called a son. And those dark eyes, maybe they were blackish purple like many claimed Rhaegar's had been. She had no way of confirming the truth of falsity of this now, not with Ned gone. But there was one man who might know something.

Taking the parchment in her hands, Cat marched straight for the post where Robb kept Jaime Lannister chained up. He was dirty, bruised, and tired. He looked almost a broken man.

"Kingslayer, I have questions for you." She said.

He glanced up at her, half curious, half defiant. "Change your mind about needing someone to warm your bed?"

Catleyn bit back her urge to strike him and put forth her question instead. "How well did you know Rhaegar Targaryen?"

The question clearly took him by surprise. "Well enough, I suppose. Why does that matter now?"

"While at Winterfell you met Jon Snow. Does he resemble Rhaegar as you remember him?" Cat went on.

Still confused at this line of questioning, he answered anyway. "At first glance I thought him a Stark, but now come to think of it I can see something like Rhaegar in his features as well. What are you trying to say?"

Cat handed her parchment to Jaime with a sigh. "I received this from Howland Reed today."

Jaime read it in stunned silence, then glanced up at her.

"I never saw Prince Rhaegar up close, only from a distance. I thought perhaps you could shed some light on the matter." Cat told him.

"Jon Snow carried himself like a Targaryen. I didn't notice it before but...I think Howland Reed has the truth of it."

"I must tell Robb then." She said, still almost in disbelief herself.

"Lady Stark…" Jaime called after her.

She turned to hear him out.

"I will never meet the son of Prince Rhaegar in battle. No matter if you manage to exchange me for your daughters or I find a means of escape...I will not fight the son of Rhaegar but I would fight alongside him." He told her and his tone was honest.

"And yet you slew the prince's father?"

"King Aerys was mad and had planned to burn everyone in the city alive...I didn't forsake my vows without reasons….but Rhaegar would have made a good king. I will not battle his son."

"Will all the Lannisters be loyal to Jon as well?"

"I don't know, but I doubt my father would chose a side that I'm not on."

Taken aback by his words, Cat fled his presence in search of her son. She found him in his tent going over battle plans with the Greatjon. "Robb, when would be a good time for a word with you?"

Robb glanced at Greatjon and the older man left the tent. This was not going to be an easy conversation.


	2. Chapter 2

Maester Aemon had never quite grown accustomed to the cold of the Wall. It wasn't simply because of his age or because of being raised in the South. It was something deeper than that. Perhaps it was his Targaryen blood that preferred extreme heat to extreme cold. It mattered not now. He was Maester of the Nights Watch now and no amount of cold would entice him to abandon his post.

He reached for the newly arrived raven with trembling hands. His fingers told him that the seal on the parchment was that of Robb Stark, the one they were calling king in the North. With Lord Commander Mormount and most of the Watch gone beyond the wall, it became Aemon's duty to read all the incoming ravens and respond to them as was proper. His eyes were too dim for reading so he passed the parchment to the boy the Lord Commander had left behind to assist him.

"Boy," Aemon began. He called all the recruits 'Boy' He knew his name. It was Gareth or Garod or maybe it was Rodderick. Come to think of it, perhaps he did not know the boy's name. "Boy, read this one aloud, if you will."

_Jon, We received word of your parentage from Howland Reed. He tells us that your mother was my Aunt Lyanna and your Father was Rhaegar Targaryen. As such, you are the rightful king of the realm, with a better claim to the throne than even mine. Please come and take your place and we will support you with all the might of the North._

_-Robb Stark_

"Give that to me boy!" Aemon demanded. Some part of him wanted to throw the parchment into the fire and be rid of it once and for all, but he knew it was not his place to make the decision for another, and so he set it upon the mantlepiece, awaiting Jon's return. If fate blew it into the fire, so much the better, but he would not be the one to dictate fate's decisions.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister were headed north beyond the wall. Neither had ever seen the wall before and neither knew what they would find beyond it but if that's where Jon Snow was, that was where they must go. Catelyn Stark had made them both swear that they would find him. She believed that Jon was her only hope of getting her daughters back. It must have irked her to admit that the bastard was her best hope at getting her daughters back as well as her best hope that Robb survived this war. She felt no affection for Jon Snow and would rather he risk his head as king than Robb.

Jaime remained in chains and the wench watched him with wary eyes.

_More to come in this chapter. Hopefully by the end of the week I can complete this chapter and repost. Thanks for following. _


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